What Is IT Asset Disposition?

IT asset disposition (ITAD) is the practice of reusing, recycling, repurposing, repairing, or disposing of unwanted IT equipment in a safe and environmentally responsible way. While this area is often overlooked, the need for proper ITAD is significant, and has a major impact on worldwide ecosystems.

Not only is ITAD an increasingly important concern in an environmentally-conscious world, but it is vital from a data security standpoint as well. Discarded hard drives containing sensitive information are major vulnerabilities if not properly cleared of data when they’re disposed of. Skilled ITAD providers address this by either degaussing or completely physically destroying the hardware. Degaussing is a process that electronically removes the magnetic field of a disk or hard drive using a special device. This renders it unusable. These are both secure ways of ensuring total data deletion.

What Is the ITAD Market?

The IT asset disposition market is a secondary market for businesses that remarket the discarded IT hardware they purchase. Different ITAD companies sometimes coordinate with each other to sell equipment. IT organizations and purchasers may also work with ITAD companies directly. According to a report, the ITAD market will be worth $23.5 billion within the next five years.

In recent times, the COVID pandemic placed extra strain on the IT asset and e-scrap markets due to supply chain issues, making ITAD concerns even more pressing than they have been in the past.

Disposing of Your IT Assets

The World Economic Forum estimates that close to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are produced each year. Most of this scrap ends up getting burnt or shipped to landfills. In addition to being harmful to the environment, this also wastes countless resources that could have been recovered from that e-scrap. 

One of the newest trends in electronics is aimed at changing this. Various eco-labels are labels attached to new products like computers. These labels list the components in them and their recyclability. Recycling labels have become mandatory in many places, clarifying the ITAD process. 

Choosing the Right ITAD Partner

While ITAD is a growing market, choosing the right partner is essential to a clean, efficient disposition strategy. The right partner can not only ensure that your unused IT assets are disposed of in safe, legal ways. They can also make the most of the parts you give them, optimizing prices for your company. 

When it comes to choosing the right ITAD strategy, First America Metal Corporation (FAMCe) has you covered. We have been a world leader in electronics and metal scrap recycling and non-ferrous export for over 15 years. Our team has over 30 years of experience in reusing and recycling metal commodities, and we’re known as one of the top five metal exporters in the entire Midwest.

FAMCe specializes in creating innovative, greener solutions for businesses or individuals who want transparent and environmentally-friendly methods of reusing and recycling electronic scrap, high-temperature alloys, and non-ferrous scrap. Our level of expertise, unparalleled customer service, and aggressive pricing make FAMCe the leading option for almost any recycling need.

Learn more and get in touch with us at famce.net.